By Susan Kardos
You’ll sometimes hear it said in hushed and half-apologetic tones, mostly by policymakers, funders, or central office officials: “change is just hard for people.” Usually they are explaining why a funded program or state mandate or new idea from the superintendent’s office isn’t taking hold in classrooms. They are re-enforcing the notion that teachers, as a group, resist change. Implicit in the comment is that teachers are, at best, “old school,” and driven by years of inertia. At worst, some higher-ups believe teachers are “lazy” or “worn out.”
The research unequivocally shows that teachers enter and stay in teaching because they want “to make a difference” for their students. Regardless of whether they are novice or veteran teachers, most care deeply and personally about the … [Read more...]

By Craig Parks, Barrett Harr and Betsy Stone
In December 2017, I was lucky enough to attend the Jewish Futures Conference, presented by the Jewish Education Project. The focus of this stimulating day was on civics education and the impact on democracy. I left both excited and disheartened. Disheartened at the impact that “teaching to the test” has had on complexity of thought in both youths and adults, and excited at the possibility that we might begin to turn around this trend. And discouraged that the world of supplemental Jewish education has allowed itself to be hijacked by B’nei Mitzvah and confirmation, the ultimate Jewish tests.
Fast forward. I teach in a webinar series, sponsored by the Jim Joseph Foundation, that brings together experienced experimental educators from across the … [Read more...]

By Dr. Jane S. Shapiro
One of a series of articles about lifelong Jewish learning
The observations that follow were presented to a group of adult Jewish learning professionals and educators as part of the Chicago Adult Jewish Learning Initiative convened by Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. … [Read more...]

By Dr. Jane S. Shapiro
One of a series of articles about lifelong Jewish learning
Sometime in the not-too-distant-future, we may be able to attach a device to an adult learner and watch as their brain lights up at certain moments, telling us when, where, and how learning actually takes place. Until that time, we have a set of animating ideas or theories about how adults learn which should guide our teaching practices.
Biology teaches that the human brain can perform four functions: detect patterns, store information, correct what it has learned through self-reflection, and create an unlimited number of new ideas. This information alone could take a teacher of adults far in their planning. But, we know even more specifically that:
Adults are self-directed as learners, seeking ways to … [Read more...]

By Erica Brown
Setting out on a new venture in Jewish education, I was interested in the hard-earned wisdom of notable professionals in and around the field. As part of the work of the Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership, we seek to bring academics and practitioners into conversation on the educational issues that matter most. To do this well, it’s critical to identify today’s educational landscape. To that end, I spent nearly a year interviewing professionals in and around the universe of Jewish education, formally and informally. I had initially intended to save the formal responses in a personal collection to direct my own work. But there was too much richness and depth to keep the responses to myself. While the conversations continue, clear patterns emerged.
What did these … [Read more...]

By Paul Steinberg
It’s March and most Hebrew School Principals are planning for next fall, and it’s a war out there. It’s not pretty. I mean, the Jewish people are really busy, and those of us on the frontlines of Jewish education - planning calendars and such - are constantly confronted with just how busy everybody is. There’s sports, dance, homework (an absurd, nearly inhumane amount of homework!), rehearsals, family trips, T.V. and/or Netflix, and general schlepping. In a nutshell, Hebrew school has some incredibly heavy competition.
Moreover, we are currently living in a world of uncertainty, struggling to define success. Many believe in the “either-ors” of the worldly success, such as, either their kid gets into Yale, or they will be doomed to life of janitorial service. When pressed, … [Read more...]

By Dr. Joshua Shanes and Dr. Dean P. Bell
Part of a series of articles about lifelong Jewish learning
In 2015, Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership partnered with the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago to conduct a market study and needs assessment of adult Jewish learning in the Chicago area. The object was to include a mapping of the adult Jewish learning market across venues - synagogues, JCC, higher education, public institutions, and more - with a particular focus on offerings during the immediate prior year.
In addition to formal and informal conversations with active Jewish adult learning programmers by project leaders, data was collected from multiple sources, including:
an online survey of Jewish community program providers;
an online survey for … [Read more...]

By Daniel R. Weiss
Last week a post on the JEDLab Facebook page, a question was posed asking, “What Tanach references do you have in regards to Jewish disabilities awareness month?” The question got me thinking about what we do in Jewish Day Schools to include all students, no matter their abilities.
Walking through the hallways of our school, as I’m sure it is in almost every Jewish Day School across the country, on a daily basis is an enlightening experience. Our hallways are decorated with student work, reflecting the diversity of topics taught in our classrooms. Tables and chairs are found in each crevice of our hallways, with students and teachers sitting and learning in small groups. Music and song emanates from each classroom as students are engaged in learning.
I have been lucky … [Read more...]

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